Brief for the position of Head of Mathematics School September 2021

Winner: Independent Boys’ School of the Year 2019 (Independent Schools of the Year Awards: ‘Celebrating student experience’) Contents

BACKGROUND 3 THE POST 8 JOB DESCRIPTION FOR HEAD OF DEPARTMENT 9

APPLICATION PROCESS 12

tonbridge-school.co.uk CANDIDATE BRIEF |

Cricket played on the Head – the First XI pitch

Head of Mathematics Salary: Very Competitive

Tonbridge School is one of the leading boys’ boarding schools in the country and is highly respected internationally. The school aims to provide a caring and enlightened environment in which the talents of each individual flourish. We encourage boys to be creative, tolerant and to strive for academic, sporting and cultural excellence. Respect for tradition and an openness to innovation are equally valued.

A well-established house system at the heart of the school fosters a strong sense of belonging. Tonbridge seeks to celebrate its distinctive mixture of boarders and day boys; this helps to create a unique broadening and deepening of opportunity. We want boys to enjoy their time here, but also to be made aware of their social and moral responsibilities. Tonbridgians should enter into the adult world with the knowledge and self-belief to fulfil their own potential and to become leaders in their chosen field. Equally, we hope to foster a life- long empathy for the needs and views of others; in the words of the great novelist and Old Tonbridgian E.M. Forster: ‘Only Connect’.

Head of Mathematics 3

tonbridge-school.co.uk CANDIDATE BRIEF | TONBRIDGE SCHOOL

Tonbridge has an outstanding record at developing • All teaching staff are provided with a laptop staff and promoting good practice; if you are • Reduced membership rates of the Tonbridge excited about teaching, you should consider this Sports Centre for staff and their families; opportunity. Professional development is regular, • Lunch is provided during term-time. supported and actively encouraged. In addition to leading a new academic department, outside the classroom you will support one of the seven boarding or five day houses and get to know the boys in a different environment. Your co-curricular involvement will depend on your expertise, with a huge range of sport and cultural activities taking place throughout the week across Tonbridge’s fantastic facilities. Opportunities will also be available to engage with the school’s extensive trips’ programme during the holidays, both in the UK, Europe and further afield.

REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS ABOUT TONBRIDGE SCHOOL • The Tonbridge Salary scale is highly Location competitive (approximately £32k-£65k) with new Tonbridge has been ranked 16th “best place members of staff starting at the point on the salary scale which is appropriate to their to live” in the UK. This study is based on experience. This post comes with an additional results of the annual Halifax quality of life Head of Department allowance as well as a study, which looks at a range of factors timetable reduction. including health, earnings, crime rates and • Accommodation. May be available if required, education. with properties – from one-bedroom flats to large family homes, all within an easy walk of the school Tonbridge School is situated on a campus of – allocated according to need. Alternatively, the 150 acres in the town of Tonbridge in West school offers a generous living out allowance to . The school is placed at the top of the those who wish to purchase their own property High Street of the town and is surrounded by in the area. outstandingly beautiful Kent countryside. • The school will contribute towards removal Transport links are excellent. Tonbridge is the expenses for the successful candidate; junction for railway lines to London (approx. • Sons of permanent members of staff may be educated at reduced fees as boys at the school, subject to satisfaction of the entry requirements. A reciprocal arrangement exists with a local independent girls’ school which enables the daughters of permanent members of staff to be educated there at reduced fees; • Some local prep schools offer fee concessions for the children of Tonbridge staff; • The school strongly encourages staff to attend CPD and provides a large budget to facilitate this; • Membership of Teachers Pension Scheme • Private health insurance, on a group scheme; Head of Mathematics 4

40 minutes to London Bridge, Waterloo East, Charing Cross, 60 minutes to Victoria), Hastings, Ashford International, Canterbury, Dover and Redhill. The M25 and M20 are a short drive from the School. Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports are easily reached, as are the Channel Tunnel and ferry terminals. It is a short drive to the neighbouring towns of Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells.

History Tonbridge School was founded in 1553 by Sir The atrium of the Barton Science Centre, a world class hub for teaching, learning, . The Charter ordained that the innovation and discovery Governors of the school after the death of the

Founder were to be the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest City Livery Companies. Sir Andrew, himself a distinguished The School Facilities member of this Company, left property in the Tonbridge is a school with enviable facilities. The City of London and in the parish of St Pancras buildings are a fine blend of old and new. There is as an endowment for the school. The income a dedicated music school, an art and DT centre from these estates is at the disposal of the and the E. M. Forster Theatre, often used for Governors for the general benefit of the theatrical and musical events for the general School. The Skinners Company, especially public as well as the school. The newly through the Governors, is still heavily involved refurbished Library is central to the boys’ in the day to day life of the School. experience of the school. In 2019 our state of the art Science facility, The Barton Science Centre was opened to wide acclaim. The sporting facilities are outstanding. The cricket, rugby and football pitches are well known as some of the finest school pitches in the country and the Hockey astro pitches are among the best of their kind.

Head of Mathematics 5

tonbridge-school.co.uk CANDIDATE BRIEF | TONBRIDGE SCHOOL

A second Rackets court was recently built – the first new court built in England for over a century. The outdoor basketball court was opened in 2017. The superb Sports Centre was opened in 2008 by Lord Coe. There is an indoor 25m swimming pool and a full-size athletics track and field facility. Th e school was chosen by the Australian Athletics team as its training base for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and again for the 2017 World Championships. Three floodlit clay tennis courts were opened in the summer of 2015.

(Above: Whitby’s Athletics Track and Tonbridge School Centre)

(Left: Smythe Library, transformed and re-opened in 2017)

Head of Mathematics 6

tonbridge-school.co.uk CANDIDATE BRIEF | TONBRIDGE SCHOOL

Academic Life The School is academically very strong and offers a wide range of subjects for GCSE and A level or Pre-U. In 2019 the School achieved excellent GCSE results with 92% of all grades being 9-7. At A level two thirds of grades were A* or A or Distinction for Pre-U subjects. Typically, between 25 and 40 boys win places at either Oxford or Cambridge Universities. Applications to overseas universities are increasingly common with 15+ applying to US Universities.

The House System Novi pupils hosting local primary schoolchildren on Community Day Tonbridge has a federal system of school Houses. There are twelve of these, seven boarding and five to others, and the development of self-reliance day. Boys often identify very strongly with their and leadership skills. This ranges from a full CCF house in their time at Tonbridge. The boys of a programme to Community Action, Conservation House eat their meals together and there is an to Music, Social Entrepreneur programmes to the extensive programme of House competitions for sport, music, art and debating. All the Houses, day annual full School Community Day. Outreach is an and boarding, have their own buildings with study important bedrock of Tonbridge’s ethos. and recreation areas. Each Boarding House has its own resident Housemaster, matron and several Sporting Life House tutors who look after the boys. Tonbridge is well known as a school which offers a broad range of sport to its pupils. In addition to the traditional field sports of cricket, rugby, hockey and football, there are around twenty other sports

offered ranging from Fencing to badminton, rackets

to cross country, golf to ultimate Frisbee. All boys

are encouraged to take a full and active part in the

sporting programme, with mass participation

valued as much as competition. A number of Tonbridgians have carried on to professional sporting careers, particularly in cricket and rugby.

Co-Curricular Life Tonbridge School aims to provide an unsurpassed education of excellence and breadth. We focus our efforts and resources on achieving this by offering, amongst other things, a vibrant and balanced programme of Co-Curricular Breadth and Depth. Involvement in sport, music, art, drama and many other activities underpins a culture of creativity, innovation and excellence. The Co-Curricular programme also provides opportunities for service

Head of Mathematics 7

tonbridge-school.co.uk CANDIDATE BRIEF | TONBRIDGE SCHOOL

The Mathematics Department and This Post

The Governors of Tonbridge School would like to appoint a Head of Mathematics to begin in September 2021. The applicant should have studied Mathematics to degree level (or a subject containing a good proportion of Mathematics) and should be capable of teaching Mathematics and Further Mathematics to A level, including both Mechanics and Statistics. The successful candidate will join twelve other colleagues in the department. The Mathematics Department, in normal times, teaches in a block of classrooms in the Main School Building. The classrooms are currently in the middle of a programme of refurbishment.

The subject is compulsory at GCSE with all boys taking both Edexcel IGCSE Maths A (4MA1), It is setted from the outset and results are very good, with typically around 50% achieving a grade 9. In most years about 100 start Maths A level in the sixth form, with about 40 of those starting Further Maths. The role would include teaching at every level of the school from Year 9, including A Level Further Maths and Oxbridge preparation, including the STEP papers.

The department teaches the OCR B (MEI) A Level syllabus. At Further Maths we offer boys the choice of either the Mechanics or Statistics Major, with the other taken as a Minor. The A level results are also very good with typically nearly 50% of both single Maths and Further Maths A level grades being A*. In 2020 there are 7 Oxbridge candidates for Maths and a further 5 for Computer Science.

The department offers outstanding co-curricular support opportunities for the boys. The Arcana (Maths) Society meets weekly and a couple of times a year there is an external speaker invited and the meeting is opened to other schools. Recent speakers have included Dr David Acheson and Prof Imre Leader. The department takes part in the individual Maths Challenges and Olympiads as well as the Team Maths Challenges and other competitions. There has been conspicuous success in all of these in the last few years. There was a member of the team for the International Maths Olympiad last year and the team has come fifth and sixth in the National Final of the Senior Team Maths Challenge in the last two years. There is also a programme of support for individuals needing that, organised both formally and informally.

The department is friendly and committed to getting the best possible results at all levels. There is a Deputy Head of Department who assists the Head of Department in an arranged set of duties, but the whole department are willing to undertake tasks needed for the smoother running. There is a good balance between experience and innovation.

Head of Mathematics 8

tonbridge-school.co.uk CANDIDATE BRIEF | TONBRIDGE SCHOOL

Job description for Head of Department

Reporting to: Deputy Head Academic and ultimately the Headmaster.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Heads of Department are responsible, through the e) Ensure that preps within the department are set and Deputy Head Academic, to the Headmaster for the marked regularly, and in accordance with school and efficient running and management of the departmental policy. Department. They should attend all meetings of the f) Explain and monitor as necessary departmental use of Heads of Department Committee and liaise with all school systems of encouragement and punishment, the Deputy Head Academic concerning policy- e.g., Commendations, Distinctions, subject prizes, making, general academic issues, staffing problems departmental and school detentions. and requirements, classroom needs and the g) Gather information on university courses in their development of resources, etc. They should also subject areas, and offer advice and guidance to pupils liaise with the Director of Learning and Academic applying for appropriate university courses. Enrichment regarding teaching and learning issues h) Establish links with, and liaise with as and the Second Master regarding professional appropriate, both Prep Schools and development of staff in their department. Universities. i) In consultation with the Deputy Head Within this wide brief there are several major areas of Academic, Director of Learning and Academic responsibility, including Health and Safety, and many Enrichment and those members of CR in specific tasks. Appropriate delegation of some of these charge of Oxbridge oversee Oxbridge functions to experienced departmental colleagues is applications from the department and the permissible and to be encouraged but the Head of provision of Oxbridge teaching. Department has ultimate responsibility for them. They j) Ensure that pupils (and staff) in their include the following (not all of which fit easily within department are aware of the School's policies the four categories used): and practices that specifically mention Heads of Department such as fire drill, complaints 1) Management of pupils procedure, cheating at coursework, etc. Heads of Department should: a) Ensure that organisational information is 2) Management of staff communicated clearly and effectively to pupils Heads of Department should: (e.g. information about examination courses, a) Hold regular departmental meetings. coursework requirements and deadlines, These meetings should be used to update staff examination dates). on curriculum and administrative details b) Monitor the progress and performance of pupils including changes of school policy and in their department (e.g. through discussions with decisions taken at Heads of Department Housemasters and colleagues, internal reporting meetings, to exchange ideas and develop system, internal examinations, block tests, etc). departmental policy, and to discuss and c) Ensure that departmental policy on behaviour and develop teaching practices and methods. discipline is consistent with, and upholds, school Minutes of meetings should be taken and practice. circulated to the Headmaster’s PA, Deputy d) Produce set lists when appropriate, and monitor Head Academic, Director of Learning and setting arrangements over the year. Academic Enrichment and members of the department.

Head of Mathematics 9

tonbridge-school.co.uk CANDIDATE BRIEF | TONBRIDGE SCHOOL

b) Help in the development of staff in their c) Keep abreast of, and disseminate, national department. developments in the evolution of specifications, the This would include the induction and curriculum and pedagogy. monitoring of any new members of the d) Maintain and promote an interest in their subject, for department; appraisal of staff within the example by membership of subject associations. department; encouraging staff to attend e) Ensure that departmental curricular aims are in external CPD training courses as line with whole school curricular aims. necessary and appropriate; organising lesson observation of, and by, colleagues, 4) Administration both within the department and Heads of Department should: occasionally in other departments; a) Ensure the efficient administration of all encouraging continued training of all paperwork and correspondence connected members of the department in the use of with their subject, including the documentation ICT in teaching. The Director of Learning required for inspection, and develop and and Academic Enrichment and/or the maintain a working knowledge of the school's Second Master are available for advice in ICT Administration system. these matters. b) Produce and update a departmental handbook c) Organise the departmental timetable annually, together with any other curriculum ensuring a fair, balanced and appropriate documentation requested by the Deputy Head allocation of teaching sets within the Academic department. c) Write an annual report early in the academic d) Allocate departmental responsibilities as year on the results of external examinations for necessary and appropriate, e.g. the Headmaster and Deputy Head Academic. responsibility for a society, etc. d) Carry out any necessary health and safety risk e) Organize the procedures for the assessments. appointment of new staff in consultation e) Organise the setting and marking of all internal with the Headmaster and the examinations in their subject as appropriate, Headmaster's PA. including Common Entrance, Tonbridge f) Organise and manage the work schedules and Scholarship at 13+ and LVIth entry tests. other commitments of any support and technical f) In liaison with the Examinations Officers staff within the department. and Deputy Head Academic deal with the g) Ensure that they have fully familiarised themselves paperwork connected with external with the School’s Health & Safety policy with examinations (entries, predictions, coursework, regard to their department. They are required to results and remarks). take responsibility for implementing all Health & g) Manage the departmental budget and resources Safety requirements in their department as set with a view to visual aids, ICT, books, out in that policy, particularly with regard to the equipment, CPD, etc. identification of Health & Safety hazards, fire h) Monitor the physical state of the department, procedures and risk assessments’. including the appropriate display of pupil work. h) Ensure that they familiarised themselves with i) Oversee the organisation of appropriate School’s Occupational Stress policy. contests and competitions, lectures, societies, field trips, educational visits and conferences. 3) Curriculum issues Heads of Department should: Pastoral a) Establish and monitor programmes of study, You will be assigned to a boarding or day house, producing schemes of work appropriate to each where you will assist one of the tutors with a year year group. Cross-curricular issues, including ICT, group. A willingness to get involved and organise PHSEE and Study Skills, should be clearly indicated activities would be essential. within the schemes of work.

b) Establish appropriate examination specifications.

Head of Mathematics 10

tonbridge-school.co.uk CANDIDATE BRIEF | TONBRIDGE SCHOOL

Other Duties • being a member on a rotating basis of a team of five staff who carry out various supervisory duties as specified by the Second Master; including, for instance, supervising the road crossing outside the Avenue Entrance at 8.25 a.m., supervising the Orchard Centre Café during morning break, etc. • Participating in the “Novi Visit” just after the end of the unless engaged in other School activities at this time. • Participating in the wider co-curricular life of the school. • Other duties that the Headmaster or Senior Colleagues might reasonably request.

CONFIDENTIALITY The successful candidate must maintain the confidentiality of information regarding the School, its staff and its business as sensitive and confidential materials are regularly handled in the department. Information must not be communicated to other persons either in or outside the School except in the recognised course of their duties.

* * *

Head of Mathematics 11

tonbridge-school.co.uk CANDIDATE BRIEF | TONBRIDGE SCHOOL

Application Process

Tonbridge School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to any post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Applications forms, accompanied by a short letter risks to the safety or welfare of children in the of application, a current curriculum vitae, and the school, he or she must report any concerns to the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead or to the referees to: Headmaster.

The Headmaster, The selection process will typically involve Tonbridge School, spending a day at the School. The day will consist Tonbridge, of Kent, TN9 1JP. • teaching a lesson Tel: 01732 365555 Ext: 4246 a tour of the School taken by a Sixth Former Email: [email protected] • Website: www.tonbridge-school.co.uk and lunch in a boys’ House • an interview with the Headmaster and Closing Date: Noon on Monday 16th Second Master November • an interview with the Deputy Head Interviews: w/c 16th November Academic and Director of Learning & Academic Enrichment Full details and an application pack may be found • an opportunity to meet the current Head on the Employment Opportunities page of the of Department and other members of the website (http://www.tonbridge-school.co.uk/ department. contact-us/employment-opportunities/). Details of the members of the ST can be found on A willingness to take part in the wider life of a the website: is essential and candidates are asked to give an indication of their interests in https://www.tonbridge-school.co.uk/about/school- their letter of application. management/senior-team

It is the post-holder’s responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for whom he or she is responsible, or with whom he or she comes into contact, and so to adhere to and ensure compliance with the school’s Safeguarding Policy * * * Statement at all times. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the post the post-holder becomes aware of any actual or potential

12